There was only one place to start if I was visiting Rutland and that was Burley Fishponds over towards the north arm for
Purple Heron. A Juvenile, originally seen on one the lagoons over a week earlier had taken to spending most of its time in the thicket towards the back of the ponds and was generally quite elusive. Thankfully after three frustratingly separate visits to the field designated for watching (this is why I don't generally twitch), I was rewarded with the briefest of flight views as the bird relocated from one tree to another. A
Greenshank and
Red Kite were other birds of note while here along the North Arm.
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| Ospreys still to be found ~ This one over Lagoon 4 |
The rest of my day thankfully was less time consuming and was spent at both Nature Centres, Egleton and Lynton. My time at Egleton was spent at Lagoon 4, where an
Osprey was perched most of the time on one of the nesting platforms, before eventually heading off towards the south. Also here at least a dozen
Common Terns, including several juveniles plus
Green Sandpiper, two
Common Sandpiper and three
Little-ringed Plover.
Egyptian Geese are now well established at Rutland and there were plenty to be found around the lagoons, along with several
Little Egret.
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| One of two Wood Sandpipers at Manton Bay |
I'd never actually visited the hides which look across to Manton Bay before so with the possibility of a
Glossy Ibis year tick I gave it a go. From the Lyndon Centre, it was actually quite a walk, around 1km, before I reached the 'Shallow Water Hide'. This is obviously a good place to see the Rutland Project
Ospreys and three birds were sitting proudly over towards the platforms. Lots of Gulls just loafing around, but nothing unusual, then the first of two
Wood Sandpipers suddenly appearing out from within, followed shortly after by a
Green Sandpiper.
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| Curlew finally waking up. |
A single
Curlew was sleeping most of the time off to the right and just before I left it decided to go walk-about, offering a photo opportunity. Up until this point, there'd been no sign of the
Glossy Ibis but would you believe it a final scan before heading off found the bird feeding in the shallows off in the distance, a nice stroke of luck π
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| Record shot of the Glossy Ibis at Manton Bay |
On route home a stop at Eyebrook Reservoir, where it was quite easy from the roadside fence on the west side to pick out a reported
Curlew Sandpiper, this along with another two
Wood Sandpipers, which were feeding happily along a narrow spit.
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| Record of Curlew Sandpiper at Eyebrook Reservoir |
